The US Department of State has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the US-Japan alliance and to maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait, following several economic reprisals by Beijing against Tokyo for its support of Taiwan.
US Department of State deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Thursday wrote on X that the US remains unwavering in its support for Japan’s defense, calling the alliance “the cornerstone of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
“We firmly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the ‘status quo,’ including through force or coercion, in the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea or South China Sea,” Pigott said.
Photo: Bloomberg
His remarks were the first proactive reaction by the state department to China’s condemnation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment on Nov. 7 that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could constitute “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” which could trigger the deployment of Tokyo’s military.
Since then, China has imposed a series of measures aimed at Japan’s economy, including advisories against travel and study in the country, and the suspension of imports of Japanese seafood.
Taiwanese media over the past week twice asked the US Department of State for comment, but it did not mention the US-Japan alliance or Japan’s defense.
The US reiterated that it opposes unilateral attempts to change the “status quo,” supports cross-strait dialogue, and that differences must be resolved peacefully in a manner acceptable to people on both sides of the Strait, free from coercion.
Takaichi is the first Japanese leader in decades to publicly suggest that a Taiwan Strait crisis could lead to Japan’s military involvement.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) yesterday also posted on X a statement in support of Japan while condemning China.
IPAC members “strongly condemn the threatening remarks by China’s Consul-General in Osaka towards Prime Minister Takaichi. Such violet rhetoric is wholly unacceptable, reflective of the steep deterioration in Beijing’s respect for diplomatic norms repeated all over the while in recent years,” it said.
“We emphasize that Prime Minister Takaichi was entirely justified in calling attention to the broad risks of Taiwan Strait escalation,” the IPAC statement said. “Takaichi’s warning about a ‘survival-threatening situation’ reflects careful strategic thinking, not provocation, mirroring growing global recognition that Taiwanese security is global security.”
“Failure to deter and deescalate would plunge the world into an economic depression,” it added.
IPAC said it agreed with the G7 reiterating an appeal against any unilateral change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, adding that it was time to take action.
“We call upon our governments publicly to support Japan to clarify real-lines around Taiwan, and to coordinate a package of meaningful political and economic measures to deter conflict,” it said. “The people of Taiwan must be free to determine their own future, and activity which threatens global prosperity must be contained."
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